Chapter 14 Deploying a Virtual Directory

The virtual directory is
an advanced feature of Directory Proxy Server that aggregates information, in
real time, from multiple data repositories. This chapter describes how you
can use a virtual directory in a Directory Server Enterprise Edition deployment.

When to Use a Virtual Directory

For example, you might have
several directory servers that contain the same users, but different data.
The virtual directory can be used to create a single view of a user's entry
across all directories. The virtual directory can also provide a single point
of administration for each individual directory.

Types of data repositories that are supported include LDAP directories,
Java Database Connectivity (JDBC) compliant sources
such as MySQL, and LDIF flat files.

For example, an application might have
specific data that you do not want to be stored in a corporate directory.
The virtual directory enables you to separate the data but make it appear
as one source for applications. This simplifies application development and
data management because applications do not need to know the details of the
data infrastructure. In addition, changes to backend data sources can be abstracted
from applications.

Your enterprise has acquired another company, or merged with
another company.

The virtual directory enables the two company
directories to be merged so that they appear as a single directory. For example,
imagine you have two directories, dc=example,dc=com and dc=acquisition,dc=com. You also have client applications that need
both directories to look like dc=example,dc=com.

Client applications require database tables to be displayed
in the format of a DIT hierarchy.

Read and write operations are required to multiple data repositories.

Multiple field join criteria with dissimilar attribute names
are required.

Client applications require support for multivalued attributes
across directories and databases from multiple LDAP or JDBC backends.

Connecting User Identities From Different Data Sources

Example.com stores uses three different data repositories to store user
data. Example.com's Directory Server contains the bulk of the user data.
User email addresses are stored in an Active Directory, and HR data is stored
in a MySQL database.

Example.com has several client applications that require a complete
view of all user data. The following diagram illustrates how the virtual directory
provides a complete view of a user's identity to the client application.